Prioritizing Bringing Unique Voices to the Conversation

As board chairperson, Dr. Berk plans to prioritize inclusivity and communication to provide the board with the best possible insight into the practice’s needs.

“My feeling is that every physician who comes to the table willing to serve, brings unique perspectives and talents,” he says. “A top priority is to identify those people who wish to help shape and support our strategic initiatives.”

Dr. Berk says his own long-term familiarity with RCCA, and 25 years of clinical practice drive his own perspective.

“Having been a part of RCCA since its founding, I have an understanding of our organizational strengths and struggles,” he says. “I want to support our leadership in executing on those initiatives which support our common goals. This only happens with the participation of our membership.”  

Navigating an Evolving Cancer Care Landscape

Oncology is a constantly evolving area of healthcare, with a myriad of trends and shifts to navigate. Dr. Berk says he has an eye on shared savings as a potential area of impact going forward.

“We should be able to partner with healthcare systems and payors to align behind strategy supporting fiscally responsible high-quality care,” he says.

Dr. Berk says he is confident in RCCA’s ability to continue to differentiate itself as the oncology landscape evolves.

“Our partnership with the US Oncology Network affords us strategic opportunities,” he says. “We’re able to think more broadly about the services we can offer our patients, and we now have partners we can call upon to help support their implementation.”

Approaching Leadership with Listening and Understanding

Dr. Berk feels his journey to leadership began after he completed his fellowship and moved to New Jersey.

“In 2000, I joined a small practice whose leaders held several important hospital administrative positions. I realized that we were stronger working as a team than as individuals. The group supported my own leadership interests by incrementally encouraging me to take on greater responsibility within the practice and the hospital system,” he says. “I gradually developed a foundation that helped foster my leadership interests.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Berk has been selected by different organizations to be involved in leadership positions. He previously served as a medical director of a newly established joint hospital system oncology service line, interfacing with different leaders in the hospital systems. Within RCCA, he was selected early on to be the head of the financial audit committee, working closely with the management team.

“You learn to appreciate the complexities of running a business and providing high quality patient care,” he says. “In many ways, it’s been a 25-year process that leads me to this point.”

Dr. Berk stresses that a key aspect of leadership is listening.

“I meditate every morning and I feel that I am able to listen with greater presence and participate more effectively in my personal and professional interactions throughout the day,” he says. “It is difficult to lead if you do not understand the needs of those who have entrusted you with this role.”

Leading Alongside the Community

As he steps into this new role, Dr. Berk emphasizes the collaborative effort of RCCA’s vision. “Like anything, life is a journey,” he says. “This job is a journey; this role will be a journey. I’d like to bring as many people as possible along on that journey with me to help improve the care and services we are able to provide to our patients.”

Find Expert Cancer Care Near You in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., Area

Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) has more than 90 medical oncologists and hematologists who practice at locations near you in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., area. RCCA’s cancer specialists see more than 26,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 245,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients’ other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300 clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis–who take intravenously-administered medications.

To learn more about RCCA, call 1-844-346-7222 or contact RCCA.